Late-breaking news: Tuesday 10 Nov

Updates brought to you by the ENB team members throughout the day:

The US has tabled a series of proposed amendments to a
G-77/China paper on flexible mechanisms. Under the headings referring to each of the
mechanisms in the Protocol and to Article 4 on joint fulfillment of commitments the US has
inserted a sentence: "Application to situation of voluntary commitments by non Annex
I countries."

Special arrangements are being put in place for the High-Level
Segment to provide an opportunity for the Government of Honduras to raise the plight of
the Central American victims of hurricane "Mitch".

The Chairman of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation, Bakary
Kante, warned delegations that he would have great difficulty going before international
public opinion to say that any work had been completed at COP-4. His comments came after
Parties decided to send a number of bracketed texts for further consideration at the COP
Plenary. Chairman Kante had earlier appealed to delegations to refrain from "taking
hostages" as a number of Parties defended or introduced new brackets. In one exchange
at the closing session of the SBI, Kante described the behavior of the EU as unacceptable
after he failed to resolve a dispute between the EU and the G-77/China.

SBI FINAL SESSION: Parties exchanges during a debate on a report
from a contact group on Implementation of UNFCCC Articles 4.8 and 4.9 (decision 3/CP.2 and
Articles 2.3 and 3.14 of the Kyoto Protocol)

At the final session of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation at
COP-4 on adverse impacts from climate change responses, the US, supported by the EU,
reported that no consensus had been reached on a text prepared by the Co-Chairs of a
Contact Group dealing with the issue. The EU called for further consultation and added
that a decision on a financial mechanism should be reflected in the report to the COP
Plenary. Saudi Arabia expressed disappointment and reserved the right to open all the
draft decisions. Chair Kante appealed to Parties to draw back from "taking
hostages".

The Chair of the contact group, Bo Kjellén, explained that the
co-chairs report was subject to further consultation. He added that discussions were
linked to many different issues in parallel negotiations in other groups. Agreement would
be linked to what could be achieved in other negotiations. Chair Kante said the Contact
Groups text would be transmitted to the COP Plenary in square brackets.

Exchanges on the negotiated text from the Contact
Group on national communications from non-Annex I Parties

The Netherlands, for the EU, sought to introduce a new paragraph to a
negotiated text introduced by the Co-Chairs of a Contact Group on national
communications from non-Annex I Parties. The G-77/China responded by placing the entire
draft decision in brackets. The Chair told the EU that the SBI had agreed that no new text
could be added. Parties could add only brackets. The EU explained that his additional text
was related to an agenda item which would come up under a later agenda item. The EU opted
to bracket a related paragraph (No.6). The Chair consulted with the EU and the G-77/China
but failed to get agreement. Kante described the EUs approach as unacceptable and
said the delegation was placing the work of the Contact Group in jeopardy. The entire text
was sent to the COP Plenary in brackets.

Award winning Argentine columnist and environmental commentator, Miguel
Grinberg, puts the climate change negotiations in perspective in an interview with Peter
Doran. Grinberg has recently described some official attempts to address sustainable
development issues at the official level as "simulated negotiation." He is also
concerned about the captivation of consumers in the southern hemisphere by consumer models and lifestyle models
disseminated by the United States, Europe and Japan.

In this press briefing,
European Union Commissioner Ritt Bjerregaard and President of the Council Martin
Bartenstein discussed the lead they say the European Union has taken to combat climate
change, as well as the outcomes they believe should come from COP4. This included an
acknowledgement by Bjerregaard of differences between the US and the EU on some issues,
and also a note that the EU would pay closer attention to the G77/China in future.